US withdraws remaining diplomatic staff from Venezuela

Washington, March 15: The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that all US diplomats remaining in Venezuela have departed the South American country.

Calling the withdrawal "temporary departure," Pompeo said in a statement released by the State Department on Thursday that US diplomats will continue their work from other locations, Xinhua news agency reported.

The US diplomats' exit came after Pompeo announced on Monday night the decision of withdrawing all remaining US personnel from its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, within this week.

On Tuesday, Venezuelan government ordered American diplomats to leave within 72 hours. The US recognised Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the nation's "interim president" on Jan 23, days after Maduro was inaugurated for a second term as Venezuelan President.

In response to Washington's support for Guaido, Maduro announced that he was severing "diplomatic and political" ties with the US.

The Trump administration recently has kept piling up pressure on Maduro.